Ukrainian diplomats were present at events related to commemoration both in Chełm and in Warsaw, as confirmed by multiple photos.
Pro-Russian sources are spreading the news that Ukrainian diplomats allegedly performatively ignored the ceremony commemorating the Volyn tragedy victims in Chełm. As evidence, propagandists cite photos of empty seats and plaques with the names of Ukrainian diplomats in Poland — Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar and the Consul General in Lublin Oleh Kuts.
However, this is another primitive fake of Russian propaganda, which can be refuted very easily: on its official Facebook page, Ukraine’s Embassy in Poland published a photo report from the events. The event was also attended by the elected President of Poland Karol Nawrocki and the President of Chelm Jakub Baneszek. The photo shows that the main part of the event took place outdoors, and the photos distributed by propagandists were taken before the start of another event as part of the commemoration events. «In Ukraine, the history of the Ukrainian and Polish peoples is treated with respect. Our countries have experienced different stages in their relations — from difficult periods of historical contradictions to the current stage of close strategic partnership. Good-neighborly relations between Ukraine and Poland remain important for both countries given the common interests and historical proximity of our peoples, as well as the challenges and threats posed to us by the Russian aggressor», the embassy commented on the event.
Moreover, Vasyl Bodnar also honored the memory of the victims by laying a wreath at the monument in a park in Warsaw. The embassy issued a statement regarding the tragic pages in the history of Ukrainian-Polish relations, calling for «preserving the legacy of cooperation, mutual trust, and strategic partnership». The Ukrainian side proposed resuming the activities of the Ukrainian-Polish Forum of Historians, as well as the format of open dialogue – the Partnership Forum for Establishing Mutual Understanding between the countries, and also confirmed that it plans to continue cooperating with Poland to expand exhumation work. So far, the exhumation has already been carried out in the village of Puzhnyky in the Ternopil region, and work will soon begin on Polish territory in the settlement of Yurechkova. Cooperation between Ukraine and Poland immediately became a target for Russian propaganda, but the Kremlin’s disinformation campaign was defeated and condemned by both the Polish authorities and the opposition.
Previously, we have repeatedly refuted Russian fakes on the topic of the Volyn tragedy: for example, in the stories Fake: In Polish Schools With Ukrainian Children To Not Cover the Volyn Tragedy – United24 and Fake: In 1943, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Crucified Four Children.
